Indian Vegetable Stew

Suddenly it got cold and grey outside so we all got chilly and felt like something warming for dinner. Nothing taste warm like a nice creamy Indian stew with tons of vegetables and lemon rice. The vegetables can be varied as sees fit and what you have available.

1/2 tbsp. canola oil

¼ cup shallots, minced

½ tbsp. brown mustard seeds

½ cup rutabaga, peeled and diced

½ cup small broccoli florets

1/2 cup purple cabbage, diced

1 small tomato, diced

1 tsp. ground garam masala

Salt to taste

½ cup water

½ cup coconut milk

Heat oil in a saucepan on medium heat and sauté shallots for 2-3 minutes. Add mustard seeds and let them start popping. Add rutabaga, cabbage, broccoli, tomato, salt, garam masala, water and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft.

Spelt tortillas

Sunday’s are what we call a low-impact-day, which means we try to do as little impact on the environment as possible. In our case it means only go where we can go by foot, bike or trolley, not use electricity unless necessary, eat at home and create as little trash as possible. Sounds nuts but it’s fun and kids love it since it means doing tons of funs together. Since I can’t use mixer of blender I have to really think about food what makes me wonder how on earth I ever survived without my food processor or blender beforeJ

For lunch I made Mexican food; pinto beans, grilled veggies, salsa and avocado and  homemade tortillas’ I leaned to make tortilla while volunteering in Bella’s class last week and I loved how they ate them with beans and cheese for snack. It inspired me to make my own version of their snack time but made it suitable for lunch.  I did cook my tortillas on the BBQ but you can also cook them on a dry skillet.

1cup whole wheat spelt flour

1 cup white spelt flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. butter, room temperature

¾ cup warm milk

• Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl and blend it well. 
• Add milk and butter little at the time until all is mixed and you have a sticky ball. 
• Knead on a floured surface until you have a firm and soft ball. Place dough back into bowl and cover with a towel. 
• Leave it to rest for 10 minutes. 
• Take dough and divide into 10 pieces. 
• Roll each pierce to a ball with your hands. 
• Flatten ball with your hand and use a rolling pin to roll out dough to a large and thin circle on floured surface. 
• Cook the tortilla on each side until bubbly and than wrap in a towel to keep warm. 
• Don’t over cook, as they will become crispy. 

Strawberry shake

Sorry about the late post but we have had a super busy but fun day. Finally after a long and hot day nothing is better than to relax on the sofa with a good movie and a yummy strawberry milk shake.

2 milk shakes

2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced and hulled

½ vanilla bean, sliced open and seeds used

1 cup almond milk

1 cup vanilla ice cream (I used So Delicious Coconut ice cream)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth and fluffy. Serve ice cold with a straw and strawberry decorating the glass. 

Soft Chocolate & Hazelnut caramels

Bella and me were stuck at home yesterday because Noah took a late nap. After playing with play dough, in the garden etc. we were bored. Baking or making candy is a fun this I enjoy doing with Bella so we made a very nice dark caramel.

½ cup muscavado sugar

50g butter

¼ cup light syrup

1 tbsp. all-purpose flour or white spelt flour

4 tbsp. unsweetened cacao powder

½ vanilla bean, seeds used

½ cup hazelnuts, chopped

Combine sugar, butter, syrup, flour, cacao powder and vanilla bean seeds in a saucepan.  Bring to boil and cook for about 5 minutes or until a caramel thermometer reaches about F238  Stir in the hazelnuts and spread on a parchment paper and place to harden in fridge for at least one hour. Use a sharp knife to cut into bite size pieces. I poured mine into silicon candy molds for show. 

Yogurt Parfait

I’m cat sitting for a few days and she wanted to play and cuddle all night and kept waking me up. I’m dragging as a result this morning so I needed a pick-me-up and today it was a parfait. Creamy, crunchy and sweet all blended in one cup, could not be better.

½ cup vanilla yogurt (I used coconut yogurt)

½ cup granola

½ tbsp. agave nectar

½ cup berries (I used raspberries)

Mash the berries with agave to juice them but not puree them. Use a fork to whip the yogurt to make it fluffy. Place half  the berries in the bottom of an individual serving glass or bowl, layer with half of the yogurt and then half of the granola and then repeat. 

Yellow lentil dahl and lemon rice

Here is the recipe for the dahl and lemon rice I made the other day. Today is a cold a gloomy day, served best at home with a cup of hot tea. Noah woke up not feeling very well at all so I know my day will be long. Poor baby, his cheeks are all red and he’s miserable. I wish I could take it way for himL

Dahl

1 cup yellow lentils, washed thoroughly and drained

3 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. salt + more if needed

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. cardamom

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. brown mustard seeds

1 tsp. red jalapeno pepper, minced

Combine water, lentils, salt, bay leaf, turmeric, cumin seeds, and cardamom in a large saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat. Remove the foam on top throughout the cooking. Cook lentils until soft, about 20-30 minutes. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium and add mustard seeds and jalapeno peppers. Let them sizzle for 3 minutes. Add oil and spice mix to lentils and cook another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let soup rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Lemon rice

1 cup white basmati rice

2 cups water

1 tsp. salt

Juice from ½ lemon

Grated peel from 1 lemon

2 tsp. dried dill

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add rice and salt. Cover with lid. Bring to a boil again and reduce to low. Cook for 15-20 minutes until rice is done. Add lemon juice, grate and dill and fluff with a fork.

Saag Aloo

This is a dish I made from the potatoes we harvested from our garden this weekend. I find that Bella particularly loves growing our own veggies and that gives her a motivation to eat the food she helped grow. She has never been “big” on potatoes but our own homegrown is a different story. I understand because they do taste better and are so buttery. The dish I made is a traditional Indian dish with potatoes and spinach but I did not have spinach and substituted with collard greens also from our garden. I served this meal with yellow lentil dalh and lemon rice. I will post those recipes tomorrow.

2 cups small red potatoes cut in half if bigger

½ tsp. salt

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. brown mustard seeds

1 tsp. red jalapeno pepper, minced

2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced

2 cups chopped spinach or collard greens

Cook potatoes al dente in water, Reserve the cooking water. Heat oil on medium heat and add mustard seeds and jalapeno peppers and let them sizzle for a few minutes. Add potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, tossing them often. Add salt and chopped greens, ¼ cup reserved cooking water and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle cilantro before serving. 

Baking Soda Carrot Bread Loaf

I hope you all had a great time celebrating Earth Day yesterday. We harvested potatoes from our garden, which will be dinner tonight, we planted new potatoes and we BBQ hot dogs. All and all it was a mellow but fun day. At night James and me ate a romantic raw dinner by candle light and toasting in kombucha. Our pledge was to not use TV, computers, IPads or phones all day and beside one short phone call we made it. Instead we played cards after the kids went to sleep.

I baked bread this morning so Bella would have a sandwich for her lunch and just made a fast rising bread with oats, honey and carrots.  This is bread that does not contain yeast so therefore there is no need to rise or knead it. The dough resembles more like batter but it’s good and fast to bake.

Bella and me gathering our potatoes

Noah celebrating Earth by admiring all the wild flowers

¾ cup oats

1 ½ cups whole wheat spelt flour

2 ½ cups white spelt flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups plain yogurt

2/3 cup honey

¾ cup grated carrots

½ cup raw sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to F400

Grease a large loaf pan. Combine whole wheat and white flour, oats, baking soda, salt and sunflower seeds and blend. Add yogurt, carrots and honey blend until a sticky batter. Pour into loaf pan bake for 40-50 minutes. Center should be dry when done. Let loaf cool completely in pan before removing. 

Pineapple filled sandwich cookies

Happy Earth Day Everyone! I hope all are taking this opportunity to do something to celebrate our beautiful planet. On Green Mom you can read what we and our staff are doing to celebrate.

We had a date with our neighbors for Mexican traditional enchilada making. Kristen makes the best enchiladas so I finally got her to teach me. They were amazing and soon as I get the OK from Kristen I will post the recipe here. As a thank you and for a sweet ending I baked pineapple sandwich cookies. The pineapple fried quinoa I made yesterday inspired me to make these cookies. 

½ cup almond meal

1 ½ cup white spelt flour or all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

½ tsp. baking soda

110g butter

Pineapples preserve

Combine almond meal, flour, sugar, baking soda and butter in a food processor and mix until it’s a firm dough ball. Wrap in plastic and place in fridge for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to F400.  Roll dough into just larger than a quarter size ball and place on a cookie sheet. Use back of a fork to press balls slightly flat. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until golden brown. Let cookies cool completely. Spread pineapple preserve on flat side and pair up two cookies to make a sandwich. 

Pineapple Fried Quinoa

James and Bella came home with a pineapple they bought at Whole Foods and I was trying to come up with a way to cook with it. I also had leftover quinoa and in the past when I had leftover rice I would always make fried rice so now my idea was to make fried quinoa instead. I love the combination of salty and sweet so I figured I could add the pineapple to the fried quinoa. It was a super hit with Bella who loves pineapple but not quinoa as much.

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced

¼ cup shallots, minced

1 tsp. red jalapeno pepper (optional)

1 cup pineapple, diced

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 cup kale, chopped

1 tbsp. Bragg’s liquid amino’s or tamari

Salt and black pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium heat and sauté shallots, jalapeno pepper if using and shiitake mushrooms until slightly browned. Add pineapple and kale and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add quinoa, bragg’s, salt and pepper and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. 

Tofu Green Curry

I've long wanted to give a try into making my own curry paste. It's so easy that I can't believe it took me this long to actually make it and I love the aroma of curry in the house after you cook it. I used real coconut milk from a coconut but canned milk will do as well.

Green curry paste:

1 stalk lemon grass, white part minced

2 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp.  ground cumin

2 ½ tbsp. Bragg’s liquid amino’s or other wheat free soy sauce

2 tsp. brown sugar

2 green chilies, roasted on stove or on BBQ until skin is blistery and slightly black.

1 small shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves

1 thumb size fresh ginger, peeled

1 tbsp. limejuice

¼ cup fresh cilantro

¼ cup fresh basil

1 can coconut milk or 1 ½ cup fresh coconut milk

1 cup extra firm tofu, drained and cubed

1 large carrot, diced

1 cup asparagus tips

1 cup cauliflower

1 tbsp. canola oil

Salt to taste

•        Steam carrot, asparagus and cauliflower al dente.
•  
•        Place everything for the paste in a food processor or blender and puree. Add coconut milk and blend well.
•  
•       Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium heat and sauté tofu for a minute or two. Add curry sauce, vegetables and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
• 
  
• ·      Add salt to taste.
• 
  
• ·      Serve over cooked rice or noodles.

Creative BBQ--Shiitake Mushroom Tacos

When the weather is as gorgeous as it has been lately I really don’t want to get stuck by a hot stove at cook. BBQ is way more fun and taste so good and taco is also an easy way to stuck healthy and good veggies. The combination of flavorful mushrooms and sweet mango is great and taste super fresh so that’s what I choose to add to my taco this time. I used large shiitake mushrooms to make it easier to grill them.

4 large shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

¼ cup olive oil

1 tbsp. agave nectar

1 red jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and minced

2 tbsp. Bragg’s liquid amino’s or tamari

For the taco:

Corn tortillas, cooked on the BBQ

Baby spinach

Red onion, minced

Mango, diced

Grated cheese (optional)

Blend oil, agave, jalapeno and bragg’s and combine with mushrooms. Marinate in fridge for 1 hour, stirring a couple of times.  Grill until slightly browned on each side. It goes very fast so keep en eye out.

Fennel & orange salad

Fennel is one of those vegetables that either you love them or hate them. I love them raw and cooked and yesterday I made a very simple orange and fennel salad that is super fresh and light.  It’s not a main meal but works well as a side dish.

1 medium fennel bulb, sliced very thin

3 oranges, peeled and sliced

2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. olive oil

Black pepper to taste

Sprinkle salt over the orange slices and set a side for 10 minutes the salt to draw out the juice. Blend fennel and orange slices on a plate and drizzle oil over. Sprinkle black pepper over.

Snack Time—Baked Apple Sandwich

I’m always on the lookout for the perfect snack. It has to be satisfying, healthy and good enough for kids to eat it. This baked apple sandwich has been my cravings lately and that it's served warm is just plus because you get a little warm apple pie feeling from it.

1 slice of whole wheat or multi grain bread

1 tbsp. almond butter (or substitute wit any other nut butter)

¼ apple, peeled and sliced very thin

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tbsp. agave nectar

Preheat oven to F400

Spread almond butter on the slice of bread. Arrange apple slices on top. Dust cinnamon and then drizzle agave nectar over. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until apples are soft and bread slightly toasted. Enjoy with a cup of tea or a glass of milkJ

Sweet potato & black bean patties

James has been working all weekend so I’ve been on my own which is fun but can be stressful and lonely sometimes.  When I have a long day with both kids and no help I tend to make it easy for myself and cook fast and simple food. I craved Mexican influenced food yesterday so I made these patties, which are good eaten as a burger or with rice and guacamole like we did. They are fairly easy and fast to make.

3 cooked medium sweet potatoes

1 cup cooked or canned black beans

3 tbsp. whole wheat spelt flour

½ green jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and minced

½ tsp. chili pepper

1 tbsp. cilantro, minced

Salt & pepper to taste

1 ½ tbsp. olive oil

½ cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to F400

Mash the potato and black beans with a potato masher until smooth. Combine with spelt flour jalapeno peppers, chili pepper, cilantro, salt and pepper and blend well.  Set in fridge for 30 minutes. With wet hands, shape batter into patties and dip them into the breadcrumbs to get a coating. Place on a parchment paper on top of a cookie sheet. Brush each patty with the olive oil. Cook in oven for 15-20 minutes, flipping them once. 

Pea puree

When I cleaned the freezer yesterday I found a half a bag of whole wheat soy ricotta cheese raviolis that I decided to use for dinner. I wanted to serve it with something colorful and tasty for the kids so I made a pea puree and it was a hit with both kids. I have to admit peas are the only vegetable I’m not too keen on but for some reason it’s ok pureed so I happily ate it too.

Peas are a great food due to its high levels of protein, vitamin C and K as well as vitamin B6 and folate acid. It’s a great “first” for babies and most kids will eat peas because they are slightly sweet. This puree is perfect if you dealing with someone like me who just don’t like the texture of peas.

2 cups cooked fresh or frozen green peas

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup almond milk

Salt & pepper to taste

Puree everything in a blender or food processor until lump free and smooth texture instead. Serve with ravioli on top of as a side dish with roasted vegetable, pan-fried seitan etc. 

Minty Orange Smoothie

As I said in a previous post my mint is growing all over the garden, which makes me happy because I love mint for tea, cooking and smoothies. So when our neighbor brought over some beautiful organic oranges I knew exactly what I was going to use them for; an orange and mint smoothie. It was the perfect afternoon pick-me-up before Bella came home and Noah woke up from his nap.

12 ounces coconut water

3 mint leafs

1 ripe orange, peeled and diced (remove all white parts too)

1 large green leaf, chopped (I used swiss chard)

¼ ripe avocado

1 date, pitted

Place everything in a blender and process for 1-2 minutes until completely lump free and very creamy. Bottoms up!

Raw Tabouleh Stuffed Tomatoes

Between all the rain and then sunshine my tomatoes are growing and I’ve been harvesting many. There is nothing that taste better than a homegrown tomatoes. It’s sweet, juicy and with a lot of flavors. I’ve had one tomato each lunch and I keep it just like it is, no major preparation necessary to ruin the freshness. But today I had leftover raw tabouleh from my friend Chef Centehua’s (un) cooking bonanza and thought the herb and garlic flavors of that would pair well with one of my tomatoes so I cut of the top of  large tomatoes, used a spoon to remove center (ate it) and simply stuffed the tabouleh inside. YUM!!!! 

Now I can’t find Chef Centehua’s tabouleh recipe so I’m posting another recipe I found on Kombucha Chic instead. But I encourage you all to still go and check out her very inspiring web site. If you not into all raw food than you can always stuff the tomato with cooked tabouleh. 

By the way did you know that tomatoes are considered the "highest perch" because of their high content of antioxidant lysopene which is known for it's ability to reduce the risk of prostate cancer? Tomatoes are also good for everyone since it contains vitamin C, carotenoids, beta carotene that can help protect against free radicals. 

1 head of cauliflower  

Juice from 2 lemons

 ½ onion 2 cloves garlic

 ¼ cup olive oil 

Small handful of mint 

large handful of parsley

Cut the cauliflower away from the stem then cut into smaller segments. In a food processor, chop up the cauliflower until it is the consistency of a cooked grain, such as rice or bulgur wheat. Usually several pulses with do the trick, sometimes it is necessary to remove the processed cauliflower so that the larger pieces can be processed. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Pulse the remaining ingredients in the food processor until the onion and herbs are finely chopped and everything is incorporated. Fold the lemon/onion mixture into the cauliflower, and then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Walnut baguettes

This is bread I baked for my friend. I prepared the dough in the evening and let it rise over night and then I baked it in the morning. Long rising time require less yeast and makes a nice fluffy dough in my opinion.

2 cups white spelt flour

1 cup whole wheat spelt flour

2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. sugar

½ package active dry yeast

2/3 cup walnuts, chopped

1 ½ cup warm almond milk

1 tbsp. coconut oil

Combine spelt flour, salt, sugar, yeast and walnuts in a large bowl or kitchen aid. Blend milk and oil and add little bit at the time until all liquid is incorporated and you have shiny dough that is elastic. Cover bowl with a towel and leave to rise over night or at least a couple of hours. Knead dough for a few minutes and add more flour if it’s very sticky. Divide in half and shape each to a long baguette. Place on a cookie sheet covered with a parchment paper. Cover with a towel and leave to rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to F440. Place an ice cube in the oven or spray some water for mist and bake baguettes for 15-20 minutes. 

Buckwheat Vegetable Pancakes

These pancakes are my son’s favorite dish. They are perfect finger foods for little ones still leaning to feed themselves. I love them because they are packed with nutrients from the buckwheat, almond milk, spinach and carrots. I've also added some pictures of my lunch guest and the receivers of the pancakes, my kids off course.

Bella who got a camera from the Easter bunny in exchange for candy is becoming quit the photographer

Energetic Noah who just never stop learning, exploring and walking all over

½ cup buckwheat flour

¼ cup brown rice flour

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. baking powder

¾ cups + 2 tbsp. almond milk

1 ripe banana, mashed

1 handful spinach, chopped

1 small carrot, grated

1 tbsp. coconut oil, melted (just place the jar in warm place or water)

Blend everything quickly just to combine and not over work the batter. Cook on a non-stick griddle. 

Raspberry and Banana Millet Puffs

I’m always looking for the perfect snack that is both yummy and healthy for my kids. It’s fun to try new things and to surprise them with it. This recipe I found on a Swedish blog by a woman who dedicate it to cooking for her child. I’m in love them myself and could not stop eating them.

7 medjool dates, pitted
¼ cup raspberries

1 very ripe banana

½ vanilla bean, split open and seeds used

1 tbsp. chia seeds

2 cups millet puffs

Preheat oven to F350

Line a cookie sheet with a parchment paper.

Puree dates, raspberries, banana, vanilla bean seeds and chia seeds until lump free and creamy. Fold in the puffs until completely incorporated. Spread dough in the parchment paper with wet hands. Bake for 30 minutes. Break cake a part to smaller pieces when cool.

Hot dog buns

This weekend we BBQ hot dogs for the kids and I made my own hot dogs bun. I can’t believe I never done this before and actually bought store bought because it was so easy and everyone thought they were so good.

5 cups white spelt flour

2 ½ cups whole wheat spelt flour maybe more

1 package active dry yeast

3 tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. salt

2 ½ cups warm almond milk

125g room temperature butter

In a large bowl or kitchen aid, combine flour, salt, sugar and dry yeast and blend. Add milk and then butter and really work the dough for a few minutes until the dough is shiny and lets go of the bowl. Add more flour if it’s too sticky. Cover the bowl with a towel and set aside to rise for 40 minutes.

Place dough on a flat surface sprinkled with flour and kneads the dough for five minutes. Divide dough into 30 pieces and shape into long and skinny buns. Place on a cookie sheet and leave to rise for another 40 minutes covered with a towel. Preheat oven to F400.  Bake for 10 minutes and then let them cool of on a wire rack cover with a towel.

Happy Easter and a dressing

Wow I hope everyone is having as beautiful day as we are here in San Diego. It's a perfect day for a Easter egg hunt, playing and a yummy meal outside here in San Diego. Yesterday I was tired after all the preparation so we made it easy and had a simple salad for dinner with a tahini and ginger dressing.

Happy Easter Everyone and thanks for visiting my blog. I'm honored to have you:)

1 tbsp. tahini

1/3 cup orange juice

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp. agave nectar

1 tbsp. grated ginger

1 tsp. grated orange peel 

Salt & pepper to taste

Blend everything and let rest to develop flavors for 10 minutes before tossing your favorite salad with it. 

Easter Menu

We're little slow getting up and going today and I'm one tired mama right now after Noah was not feeing good last night and kept calling out for me. Off course it's one of those gorgeous San Diego days with not a cloud in the sky and perfect temperatures. We had a picnic in the garden eating taco with mango and bean guacamole. We're planning and preparing for Easter lunch for tomorrow and this year it will be a simple BBQ style affair.




Menu:

• tofu dog with home baked whole wheat buns
• apple & sage smoked seitan sausages
• Roasted corn on the cob
• mixed salad
• Creamy avocado potato salad
• Chocolate cake served with mango coconut ice cream

Cardamom and Hazelnut Biscotti

I’ve had a crazy work week and on top of that a very over tired five year old. As you can imagine this spells trouble and a very tired mama at the end of the day. Luckily Noah has been super happy little guy who takes a long naps in the afternoon giving me some much needed work time but also a chance to enjoy a cup of tea in the garden. Today I made biscotti to enjoy with the tea. I love biscotti but never attempted to my own and I was pleastlly surprised how easy it was.

1 ¾ cups white spelt flour

¾ cup sugar

¾ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cardamom

1 ½ tbsp. egg-replacer

2/3 cup water

½ vanilla bean, split open and seeds used

1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts

• Preheat oven to F350.
• Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and cardamom in a large bowl and blend well. 
• In small bowl whisk together water, egg replacement and vanilla bean seeds until there are no lumps left. Add to the large bowl and begin to mix until it’s all combined. 
• I used my hands but next time I think I will just use my food processor or kitchen aid instead. 
• Divide dough I half and with slightly wet hands roll and shape each piece into a log. 
• Place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. 
• Bake for 30 minutes. 
• Remove from oven and let them cool for 10 minutes and carefully slice diagonally bake the slices cut side down for 8 minutes and flip and bake another 8 minutes. 
• I drizzled some melted chocolate chips over mine to make them pretty but it's optional.
• Yummy!!!!